The
blues were knotty and abstract,
the ballads stark and haunting.
The swing pulse was light and
easy, the original lyrics smart,
barbed and funny. In other words,
singer-songwriter and pianist
Patricia Barber was in typical
form at the Kennedy Center's KC
Jazz Club on Thursday night.

The
Chicago-bred musician and her
three band mates showcased mood
pieces that borrow from a curious
assortment of influences. During
the quartet's opening set, there
were allusions aplenty -- to
beat poetry and hoary British
folk, to sensuous Brazilian
rhythms and chopped chord funk,
to torchy pop and unfettered
swing, to acoustic interplay
and contemporary rock instrumentation.
At one point, when Barber's
band was churning out a vintage
R&B groove, the pianist
began splashing dissonances
over the backbeat until the
arrangement briefly sounded
like "Ramsey Lewis meets
Thelonious Monk." At other
times, bassist Michael Arnopol,
guitarist Neal Alger and drummer
Eric Montzka stood out individually,
adding striking colors and textured
accents to the music.

"Modern
Cool" and "Verse,"
Barber's recent albums, inspired
some of the performances, including
the noir-ish and witty vignette
"Touch of Trash."
But there were engaging twists
as well, including an instrumental
version of "Witchcraft"
that quietly referenced Count
Basie's brand of no-frills piano.
Barber also unveiled "White
World," a new tune drawn
from a song cycle she's working
on. A sharply satirical broadside,
the song suggested her next
recording won't disappoint those
who enjoy hearing her vent in
clever and cunning ways.